The World Is Ours
by thenoblehouseofblack
Summary: The Marauders have graduated Hogwarts and enlisted in the War. Friends, lovers, and enemies dance around them, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. But for now, they are together, and it's enough. For now, the world is theirs. How long is it going to last? Reviews are greatly appreciated.
1. In My Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own the magic of Harry Potter - unfortunately.**

* * *

**Prologue: In My Life**  
_But of all these friends and lovers _  
_There is no one compares with you _  
_And these memories lose their meaning _  
_When I think of love as something new _  
_Though I know I'll never lose affection _  
_For people and things that went before _  
_I know I'll often stop and think about them _  
_In my life I love you more _

They said the first week was the worst, that the dementors so enjoyed a new mind to feast on that they prolonged it. Most went mad within weeks, trapped inside their own minds. They said the prisoners become shells of the person they used to be, lost with no hope, unable to have a single thought. The dementors came for them all, and one by one, each prisoner would eventually fall into the abyss of their own destruction. Oh they screamed at first, wailed for help, for salvation. But then they went quiet, they all did, only moaning in their sleep, stuck in never-ending nightmares. No one escaped, no one was safe.

Sirius Black had been in Azkaban for over a month now. He liked to believe he hadn't gone mad yet, but he wasn't so sure anymore, not when all he had for company were his own despairing thoughts. The dementors did not even need to take away his hope, because Sirius Black had lost all traces of hope a month ago, before he even entered this dark place. But Sirius had a feeling he had not gone mental yet, because he had something the rest of these prisoners didn't have. It wasn't innocence. Sirius felt just as culpable as the traitor because it had been he who suggested the switching of the secret keeper. No, it was the fact that Sirius Black had a thought the dementors would never be able to take away or twist around.

He knew James and Lily had been betrayed by Peter Pettigrew, a man they had thought was their best friend, a boy they had taken under their wing and included in their exclusive group, a cowardly traitor. It was not a pleasant thought, and so, the dementors could not take it away from him, not even when they took everything else. James was gone. Remus was alone and thought him the traitor. Peter was running around free. Harry, innocent Harry, his fate was probably worst of all. To grow up without James and Lily, to have the burden he would have to bear, Sirius wished he could be there for him.

His best friend, his brother, his other half was gone. And it was his fault. He had been the one to suggest making Peter their secret keeper. While they knew there was a traitor in the Order, they both thought that without a doubt Peter would be the last one to betray them. And yet, he had. And now James and Lily were dead. His heart ached with the loss of the small family he had made for himself. Two of them were dead, one of them probably hated him thinking he was the traitor, and one had hurt them all deeper than he could have ever thought.

The Marauders. He laughed bitterly. Look at what the marauders had become now, at their precious group. Where had their pranks led them? What had their friendship cost them? But as Sirius thought back, he knew without a doubt that if he had the choice to do it all over again, he would not have done a single thing differently. He had chosen his life when he was 11 years old, when the Sorting Hat had placed him in Gryffindor, when he had met James, when he had subconsciously turned his back on the ancient and most noble house of Black. Sirius Black wasn't sure if he believed in fate. He wasn't sure if his friendship with James was preordained, or if he had been born in the family he was on purpose. He didn't know if he believed that some higher power had pushed the four marauders together. But he did believe that everyone had a choice in their life. How could he not? When he was the heir of the Black family and had chosen to move away from the bigotry his family followed? And now, here he was, rotting in Azkaban for a friendship that was so strong, Sirius felt himself ready to burst from the loss of it.

They had been the marauders. They were a pact of brothers. They had broken every school rule together, served more detentions than any student to ever go to Hogwarts, become animagi so Remus would not have to transform alone. They had sworn to always, always be there for each other. He closed his eyes and recalled the day everything changed, the day they really joined the war that had been looming over them for years.

It was their graduation. He could see Mr. and Mrs. Potter beaming at them from the parents' section. He whistled as James finished his Head Boy speech, and nudged Remus to prepare him. It was almost time for their very last prank while still students at Hogwarts. James sat down next to him and clapped him on the shoulder, grinning widely before taking Lily's hand. This was what they had been waiting for, what they had been preparing for. So much had changed from when they were eleven years old, but the one thing that remained the same was that they were still best mates. They still had each other's backs. Sirius had smiled, looking around at his friends, his self-made family. Everything was still going to change even more. But Sirius knew without a doubt that in that moment, the world was theirs.

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**New story! What do you think? This is just the prologue of course :D It is a marauders' era fanfic after they graduate. I feel like that's a time period we don't see too often, and this is my take on what happened. Anyways, please review and let me know what you thought! Thanks x**

**Title song: In My Life - The Beatles**


	2. Change

**Chapter 1: Change**  
_But I believe in whatever you do_  
_And I'll do anything to see it through_  
_Because these things will change, can you feel it now?_  
_These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down_  
_It's a revolution, the time will come for us to finally win_

Seven long years they had waited for this. Seven long years they had prepared for it. They had worked and toiled, strained and struggled, putting in painstaking hours and having their fair share of tears and breakdowns. Now, finally, it was time. Finally, the graduation of the Hogwarts class of 1978 was upon them. And they were anxiously waiting. Oh not for the end of the graduation, or the commencement song of the merpeople, or the finishing ceremonies. No, they were waiting for the greatest prank Hogwarts had ever seen. For amongst the graduating class, there sat four young wizards who had been preparing for this very moment since their first year. They had been saving this one, the very best one, for this night. It would top the countless jokes they had played over the years by far. They would be remembered for it, for generations to come. And it was almost time.

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew had spent countless hours preparing for it. They had set everything in motion last night, after the graduation decorations had been put up. The teachers knew it was going to happen no matter what, and so they had not stopped them. The professors at Hogwarts were more anxious than the students really. They had all seen the complex magic the four had performed for their other pranks. If this was anything like those, then the entire castle was in for quite a show.

Minerva McGonagall signaled the Head Girl to approach the podium. It was time for her speech. Five speeches down, two to go and then all hell would break loose. The four marauders just could not wait as Lily Evans walked forward to address the masses.

"Seven years ago, I did not believe in magic," Lily began. "I did not believe in witches or wizards or magical beings. I believed only in facts, in things we could explain, things we could see. Even when I flew out of a swing when I was nine years old, I thought it was only the wind. And then my Hogwarts letter came. Suddenly, a whole new world was opened to me, to all of us. As a Muggleborn, I remember distinctly walking through the barrier in King's Cross to Platform 9 ¾ and seeing magic for the first time for what it was. I saw it as something beautiful, something powerful, something that maybe could not be explained but existed nonetheless. I saw it as a force as strong as the ones I had learned in my Muggle school, and stronger than some. On the train ride, I met some people that I am proud to say I am friends with today, though I have to say I never thought that possible. But then, that's the thing about Hogwarts, isn't it? Anything is possible. And that is the message I want to leave with my fellow students. We learned together, studied together, fought together, loved together, shaped ourselves together. We are not the same as we were when we were 11 years old on our train ride in. We are not the same as we were yesterday. We have learned much and we have succeeded. And one of the most important things Hogwarts taught us is that we can do anything, be anything, accomplish anything. And it is because of what we were taught in this majestic school. So when you leave its doors today, remember this: anything is possible. Thank you."

The crowd and students cheered, the marauders loudest of all. James beamed at his girlfriend as she took her place next to him again. He still could not believe the fiery redhead had said yes. He still could not believe she was actually his, finally. He squeezed her hand before walking forward himself. Remus nudged Peter who looked half asleep, and Sirius whistled as his best mate began his own speech.

"As Lily said, anything is possible. We have the power to change the world. We have the ability to accomplish anything we set our minds too. And we have Hogwarts to thank for that. She showed us her knowledge and unlocked her secrets for us. And today, as we stand here, ready to take on the world, we know without a doubt that anything is possible. Or I should say _almost_ anything. The one thing we will never forget is the friendships we made here in the walls of this school. We will never forget the friends we made, the things we did, or the times we had. I know some of the professors are especially glad to see some of us go."

"Cough cough Minerva," Sirius pretended to have a coughing fit. Professor McGonagall glared at him.

James allowed a smile and then continued on. "But we are leaving these halls with a heavy heart. This is where my friends and I met, where we became who we were, where we learned what we could be. This is where we had the time of our lives, and made sure everyone else did too – well mostly everyone. This is where we fought and laughed and broke school rules. This is where our story began, but it will not be where our story ends. The students of the graduating class of 1978 go their separate ways today but we will not forget the times we had together. And wherever life leads us, we will all always remember that it was in Hogwarts that our lives truly began. This is where we learned anything is possible. This is where we learned who we were. This is where we became who we will be. And this is where we will always be able to call home. And with that, parents, faculty, your headship Dumbledore, let me present Hogwarts' graduating class of 1978."

And that was the cue. Before the crowd could begin cheering, a loud bang was heard in the air. Fireworks erupted one after another. They flew down to the field and flew through the crowds. That was when they were able to be distinguished. First came the lion, then the badger, then the raven, and finally the snake. They flew around the field, fighting and making noises. They rose above the masses into the sky and erupted in a spectacular event. The crowd cheered as the marauders all stood and bowed, beaming in pride at each other.

Yes, they would be remembered for this for generation.

"I still say it wasn't as good as I expected," Lily said as she put the last of her stuff in her trunk. After the final celebrations, the students had gone off to finish packing and collect their things while parents enjoyed a firewhiskey or two.

The marauders, who believed the best way to pack was the stuff everything into their trunk as quickly as possible, had finished already and sat with Lily in the Head Girl's room as she finished her tidier packing.

"Not as good?" Sirius demanded. "James, please explain to your girlfriend what a complicated piece of magic that was!"

Lily rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. James looked just as affronted as the others though. "Lily, do you know how much work we put into it? And it was brilliant. Everyone thought so."

"I'm not saying it wasn't brilliant," she said calmly. "I'm just saying – as the marauders, you guys kind of have a reputation."

"Kind of?" Remus laughed.

"Alright, you guys _have_ a reputation, and honestly, as brilliant as the magic itself was, I wouldn't have been surprised if you had used this for a normal day."

"It took us weeks to get the magic right!" Sirius said. "We usually spend what – _hours _preparing our usual pranks."

"And our usual prank would involve something horrible happening to the Slytherins," Peter pointed out.

Lily looked at them all questioningly. "Are you telling me your prank was _not_ doing something horrible to the Slytherins?"

"No that was a last minute thing," James explained. "At first we had this green slime fall on them from the mouth of the lion."

"And then have the raven fly away with the snake in its claws," Remus added.

"And have the badger write the words Snivellus in the sky," James finished.

"But we decided this was better," James said quickly seeing the annoyed expression on Lily's face. "After all, everyone was _expecting _us to do something horrible to the Slytherins. And when have we ever done anything that was expected of us?"

"Well you _did_ become Head Boy."

"Stuff it Padfoot."

"Make me."

"Oh I'll-."

"I hope I'm not interrupting what I'm sure would have been an excellent comeback," a serene voice cut him off.

All four boys stood up quickly. "Of course not, Professor," Lily said quickly, smiling. "Can we help you?"

"Actually yes, you can, Miss Evans," Dumbledore walked in and closed the door behind him. "I'm glad you are all together. Actually, there was something I needed to speak to you all about."

They waited for the headmaster to continue, though they had an idea what this was about. "As you will all recall, I spoke to you recently about joining the anti-Voldemort group I had assembled. I told you before that while you were students you could not join our order. However, since the commencement of that spectacular firework show, that is no longer a problem. And so I have come to ask you if you are all still interested in joining."

"Yes," James, Sirius, and Remus all said at once. Peter looked frightened, and Lily thoughtful.

"Professor, you told us before you couldn't go into detail of what the order did because we were still at school," Lily said quietly. "Can you tell us now?"

"Currently, we are attempting to thwart his plans to recruit followers," he said. "But more than that, I cannot tell you unless you decide to join. What I can tell you though is that we are trying to stop Voldemort from taking over England and killing Muggleborns and Muggles. It is no easy task, I must warn you. But I have watched you all for quite a while, and I feel that you would be excellent additions to our group, should you wish to still join."

"When do we start?" Sirius asked.

"Are we going to fight Death Eaters?" James added.

"As soon as you'd like," Dumbledore said softly. "And I am afraid that fighting Death Eaters will not be able to be avoided. So can I take it you are all agreed?"

"Yes," James said. Sirius and Remus nodded. They all looked at Peter who, still looking frightened, merely nodded.

All eyes turned to Lily, but she stared only into the hazel ones. After so long, she had finally said yes to him. She had finally gone out with him. And they had finally gotten together, something, her friends admitted, they had expected all along. Joining this group would be dangerous. Was she willing to lose him? But then, would he listen to her if she said no? Did she even want to say no? She thought of Petunia, a powerless Muggle. Though her sister hated her, she could not bear the thought of Voldemort even looking at her. She sighed and knew what she had to do. "Yes."

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**Another chapter! I wrote this while I was in class listening to the same old speech about how the grade we get will be the reflection of the work we put in. Anyways, what do you think? Let me know! thanks!**

**Title song: Change by Taylor Swift**


	3. We Are Young

**Chapter 2: We Are Young**  
_Tonight we are young_  
_So let's set the world on fire_  
_We can burn brighter than the sun_  
_Now I know that I'm not all that you got_  
_I guess that I, I just thought_  
_Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart_  
_But our friends are back so let's raise a toast_  
_'Cause I found someone to carry me home_

It went without saying that when one of the marauders was dating a girl, then, essentially, they all were. It was an unofficial rule they had made for themselves back when they decided collectively that girls no longer had cooties. This being said, it was no surprise to anyone that Sirius, Peter, and Remus had all come with James to help Lily move into her new flat. All day they had Apparated back and forth from her parents' house to Diagon Alley, taking box after box. Sirius took every chance he could to wonder how odd it was that such a small girl had so much stuff. This was usually when Remus would hand him another box. Still, none of them complained, and none of them cared. As far as they were concerned, Lily was one of them by extension of James. After all, one of their girlfriends….

"Sirius Black! If you peek into my knickers drawer one more time!" she reprimanded the young wizard, putting her hands on her hips.

He had the gall to look completely innocent of course. "I was just looking for a place to put your naughty pictures of James. And since we are all upstanding gentlemen here, I figured the only place we wouldn't look is your knickers drawer."

"And the fact that you've already looked in it four times makes you what?" Remus asked, smirking.

"A bloke," Sirius grinned sheepishly.

Peter and Remus laughed while Lily rolled her eyes. "I do not have naughty pictures of James!"

"She doesn't need them anyway. Not when I'm more than willing to show off my body any time she asks," James came into the room, carrying yet another box. He kissed Lily's flushed cheek. "Where do you want this one, love?"

"James," she sighed, looking at the box. "It says cooking supplies. Where do you think I want it? Don't even think about it, Sirius," she added when she saw him light up and open his mouth. She was pretty sure she definitely did not want to hear his response to that. He pouted.

When James returned after putting the box in the kitchen he sighed and fell back on her bed. "Oh that was the last of them, by the way. Congratulations Lils, you are officially moved in."

She grinned and sat down next to him. "Thank you guys so much! I honestly do not know how I would have moved all this stuff without you all."

"2 galleons says she would have lost her temper and burned half of it," Sirius muttered to Peter.

"Erm – how would we even find out though?" Peter asked, confused.

"Well it's Lily and it's me so I'm right, so pay up," he held his hand out. Peter sighed and handed him the coins. That was usually the way between the two, so no one even bothered telling Sirius off.

"What are we going to do tonight?" James asked.

They were interrupted as an owl flew in through her open window and landed next to Lily. She untied it and gasped. "It's from Dumbledore!"

"Yes!" James high fived Sirius. "You think he's sending us on a mission?"

"Read it, Lily," Remus prodded.

"_Dear Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Lupin, and Miss Evans (as I am sure you are all together),"_ she read aloud. "_I am writing to request your presence tomorrow night at 8 in the evening at the house of Dorcas Meadowes. Enclosed in the envelope you will find a parchment with her address. Hope you are well, Albus Dumbledore."_

"A meeting?" Sirius groaned. "Great."

"Maybe he'll give us the m-mission at the meeting," Peter suggested quietly. He had suddenly gone rather pale.

"Hey Wormtail, you okay?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous," he said quickly. "It's supposed to be dangerous, right?"

"Who cares?" Sirius shrugged. "Personally, I'm ready for danger."

Lily rolled her eyes at him before smiling at Peter. "Don't worry about it, Pete. I'm sure it's just a meeting to explain some things to us. And even after, I'm sure you won't actually have to do anything dangerous if you don't want to." But they all knew these were just words. Everything from the moment they left Hogwarts would be dangerous, especially with the war looming over them more now than ever. At school, it hadn't been able to touch them, but now – now they were going to be fighting in it. Their worlds had just completely changed and all five of them knew it.

"What is the point of living in Diagon Alley," Sirius said suddenly, obviously trying to break the silence that had dawned over all of them, "if you aren't going to spend your nights getting drunk at the Leaky Cauldron?"

James grinned, and just like that, everything was forgotten. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Getting drunk on a Wednesday night," Lucius Malfoy rolled his eyes at the group standing in a dark alley several shops away from the Leaky Cauldron. "Clearly your loser friends have not changed, Wormtail. I doubt they'll even notice your absence."

"D-don't call me that," he squeaked. That was his marauder name. These Death Eaters had no right to use it, no right.

"We'll call you whatever the fuck we want," Avery spat at him, raising his wand. Peter quivered slightly.

Lucius put his hand up to stop Avery, and silence fell through the group. It was clear who was in charge of these wizards, and he had extremely blonde hair."Well? What information do you have for the Dark Lord?"

"T-there's a meeting tomorrow night," he said quickly. "F-f-for the O-order of the Ph-phoenix. D-dumbledore set it up."

"So these morons have joined up?" Avery asked, a small smirk on his face. He turned to the only witch in the group. Her eyes were blazing at this information. "Well, Bella, it looks like your cousin is a full-blown traitor now. Whatever will you do?"

"Exterminate him," Bellatrix Lestrange said coldly. "Right after I do in my sister."

"Well Wormtail?" Lucius asked after smirking at the black haired witch. "Have they all joined Dumbledore? Who else is in that ridiculous group?"

"I-I d-don't know yet. B-but they have, yes."

"Excellent. The Dark Lord is pleased with the information you have provided, Wormtail. Do not worry, when this infestation is dealt with, he will reward you beyond your wildest imaginations. Now run along. We wouldn't want your little friends to get suspicious now, would we?" he laughed along with the rest of them.

Wormtail gulped and quickly ran back to the Leaky Cauldron. He really hoped they hadn't noticed his disappearance, though ever since Lily had joined their group, it was getting harder and harder to slip away. She was so much more perceptive than the rest of them, she noticed him more, he thought bitterly. Lily Evans, the Mudblood, noticed him more than his best friends. It was one of the reasons he had turned to the Dark Lord in the first place. Oh sure, Lucius and his lot were not fun to deal with, but the Dark Lord – he understood. He knew what it was to be in a sea of people and still be alone. And so, for the last six months, when they all planned what to do when they left Hogwarts, he had decided to turn to the Death Eaters. So what if he had to give him some information about Dumbledore and his prospective recruits? So what if some of these recruits were his so-called best friends? They would all see one day, right before they died of course, that Peter Pettigrew was actually smarter than all of them. When the Dark Lord won, only he would be alive of this sad bunch. Only him.

He took his stool next to Remus quietly. "Petey, there you are," Sirius said loudly. "It's your turn to buy the next round!"

"You okay Peter?" Lily asked from around James after Peter placed a few galleons on the bar for another round for the group. He definitely needed a firewhiskey – or two. "You were gone a while."

"Upset stomach," he mumbled as the bartender placed a shot in front of him. He downed it without another word.

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**New chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Afterlife

**Chapter 3: Afterlife  
**_Cause everyday the world is made _  
_A chance to change But I feel the same _  
_And I wonder _  
_Why would I wait till I die to come alive? _  
_I'm ready now _  
_I'm not waiting for the afterlife **  
**_

Though the marauders were four, there was quite an obvious distinction who the leaders of the pack were. James Potter and Sirius Black ruled the group and had ruled Hogwarts. And now, though they were out in the real world, it surprised no one that they had gotten a place together. They had asked Remus and Peter of course, if they wanted to get a place together with them, but after long consideration, Remus had decided it was a better option with his_furry little problem_to live at home, where he had shackles in place in his basement for his monthly transitions, and Peter just could not afford it. James offered to pay for him, but Peter had decided against it. And so, James and Sirius bought a flat together in Diagon Alley, where James could be close to Lily and Sirius to the Leaky Cauldron. It was in this flat now that James, Remus, Peter, and Lily waited impatiently for Sirius to get out of the bathroom so they could go to the meeting.

"Hurry up, Sirius," James called. "No one at the meeting cares what your hair looks like!"

"5 galleons says there's no one under 25 there besides us," Remus grumbled.

"Hmm seeing as it's Dumbledore's, I'm going to wager it's no one below 85," James smirked.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Idiots."

"Sirius!" James called again.

He finally opened the door and stepped out, his hair perfectly in place. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Prongs, or I'll let Lily know how long you spend in the bathroom before your dates."

James blushed slightly before glaring at his best friend. The others laughed, and again Lily rolled her eyes. "For your information, Sirius," she said. "I happen to know how long. Especially since he also uses_my_ bathroom to check himself out before we leave."

"Okay, okay, if you pansies are done making jokes, shall we go?" James asked, as the other howled with laughter.

And with that, the four marauders and Lily Apparated to the address they had been given. It was a small cottage, they saw, in what they realized was a wizarding community in Yorkshire. "It's so quaint," Lily smiled at James.

"Better watch out, Prongs, or Red will want to buy one right next door," Sirius laughed. Lily responded by smacking him over the head.

Remus knocked on the door and immediately it was opened by a young woman who had to be in her early twenties. James and Sirius recognized her immediately from various society events. "Hello Dorcas," Sirius greeted with a smile. "Lovely house you have here."

"Sirius Black," the woman smiled, stepping back. "It has been too long since I have met anyone with your charms. Well come in, the lot of you. Shouldn't linger in doorways in these dark times, especially with what's happening here now." The others stepped into the house, which seemed very cozy. "Well hello, I'm Dorcas Meadowes. James, nice seeing you again. Why don't you introduce me to your friends? I'm rather excited to brag to Marlene that I can introduce you lot. They're all anxious to let young people in, but of course, Dumbledore thinks you can handle it so they can all shut their fat mouths."

"Likewise," James grinned. He had always enjoyed Dorcas, who, like the Potters, never really fit into the whole Pureblood society. "This beautiful young lady is my girlfriend Lily, so tell Fabian and Gideon that she's off limits."

"I'm sure that'll stop them," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes.

"And this is Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew."

"A pleasure," Dorcas said, smiling. "Well, let's get on. They're waiting for you lot to start the meeting." They followed her through the house to the living room.

"Excellent," Dumbledore stood up when they entered. "Please, have a seat we can now begin. First, introductions, I believe are in order. You know some of them, I imagine. This fellow here is Edgar Bones, Dedalus Diggle, Benjy Fenwick, Marlene McKinnon, Caradoc Dearborn, Elphias Doge, Sturgis Podmore, and Emmeline Vance. I'm sure you're more familiar with Alastor Moody, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, Fabian and Gideon, and Frank and Alice Longbottom, who incidentally, were just entertaining us with a marvelous story about their nuptials. And really Mr. Longbottom, I simply am astounded that you could find one that big. You must tell me later where-."

"Albus," Minerva McGonagall cut him off impatiently. "I believe we should move forward with the meeting, don't you?"

"Oh right you, Minerva," Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. "For all those who do not know, these fine young people are Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Evans, Peter Pettigre, and Remus Lupin, respectively. I am sure several of you are familiar with them. Caradoc, actually, was telling me before how your father, Mr. Potter, often tells him the most amusing stories about your antics at home-."

"Albus!"

"Right, well I suppose that is everybody," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Please, everyone have a seat and we can begin. Comfortable? Good. Now, all joking aside, we are not here for any frivolous matter, no matter how much we wish otherwise. As you are all aware, the dark wizard Lord Voldemort is at large, and is growing stronger in numbers and power every day."

"And more blatant with his actions," Dorcas added. "His 'Death Eaters' have started to place Dark Marks over buildings where they commit their atrocities."

"Unfortunately, we have not made much leeway on where he will attack next," Dumbledore continued serenely. "If we knew beforehand where he planned to attack, we would be able to stop them. However, as of now, we have no way of knowing."

"Wasn't he your student before, Albus?" Fabian asked suddenly. "I remember one of the portraits telling me that once when we came to visit our sister, Molly."

"Yes, he was," Dumbledore said slowly. "However, must time has passed since I could scare him with a detention or expulsion."

"You Know Who scared of getting a detention, ha!" Benjy chuckled. "He'd have to be human first."

"What do we do then?" Minerva asked, always the practical one. It was clear she did not find this a laughing matter.

They all looked at Dumbledore for the answer, but it seemed as if he was debating with himself for a moment. It was then, instead, Sirius who answered. "We kill him."

Some, like Elphias and Dedalus looked absolutely horrified at the thought of murder, but the majority nodded along with this. "Yes," Dumbledore said softly. He was not a man of violence or murder. Even when he had defeated Grindelwald, he had not killed him, instead entrapping him in his own prison. "Unfortunately, the time has passed for pacifistic methods to be employed. Voldemort poses too great a threat to the entire country. And he will not be able to be reasoned with. I know him very well, and I know the only way to stop him is to kill him, much as it pains me."

"Yes, but what can we do now?" Marlene asked quietly. "We need to do something to stop all these murders. It seems these Death Eaters are killing people left and right."

"Well, we may not have much, but we do have a bit of information on what he is planning," Dumbledore said. "I think right now, his main concern is gathering more followers. We know he has now approached several Pureblood families in hopes of getting them to join."

"Which ones?" James asked with narrowed eyes. Sirius too had narrowed his eyes at this. He knew his family's ties with the dark arts, and if there was anyone who would rightly believe in what Voldemort was doing, it was his dear old mum.

"Mostly the ones who have shown pureblood supremacy tendencies in the past," Alastor Moody spoke up. "We believe the Malfoys, Lestranges, Averys, Goyles, Crabbes, and Montagues are some of the more possible choices. However, we think he might begin to start targeting others. For example, he has already approached the Dearborns."

"And we not so kindly declined," Caradoc said coolly.

"What else is he doing?" Lily spoke at last.

"He's been threatening the Ministry for a while," Edgar explained. "He gave them an ultimatum: either surrender to his ruling or suffer the consequences. We know for a fact that the Ministry is going to decline, so we need to know what these consequences will be."

"We're guessing mass murder," Dorcas added. "He's done it before, and we wouldn't put it past him."

"Also, we know where several Death Eaters meet weekly for updates," Caradoc said. "Taking these down will have to be a priority, Dumbledore. I know how adverse you are to violence, but taking down these meeting places may put a damper on his orders being delivered to the subordinates not in his inner circle."

"Yes," Dumbledore sighed. "I am afraid I must agree with you. But it will need precise planned. I would like to do this with the least number of casualties as possible."

Alastor Moody coughed and stood. "We have decided that all members should undergo training. We want our side prepared for all possible scenarios. I will be heading these. I suppose we should decide where to hold these sessions now, eh?"

"We could do them at our house," James said suddenly. Sirius nudged him to be quiet. "Not our flat, you dunce. I mean the Potter Manor. It's big enough, and it's only my mum and dad there. I'm sure they won't mind. They will do anything to stop Voldemort." His parents were both elderly now, too old to actually do any fighting, but he knew they wanted Voldemort gone just as much as he did.

"Perhaps we should ask them first, Potter," Moody grumbled, though they could see his good eye growing excited at the thought.

"We will do that first thing," Dumbledore promised. He knew action would have to come. He would have to send these young people, these brave people to war even if it pained him so. He knew some of them would die. There were always casualties in war. But he refused to send them off unprepared. He refused to let them die unnecessarily. Besides, he had another plan in motion now as well, and he needed time for that. These sessions, while useful to keep them alive, would also help to create a bit of a delay. "Now we should hold this session as soon as possible. We can't very well do much until we have more information anyway, but we should be ready and mobile once we receive word of Voldemort's actions. Mr. Potter, perhaps you could ask them first thing tomorrow?"

"Yes sir," James smiled, eager at the thought of being trained by Alastor Moody. He had never wanted to go into the Auror Department, though that track was all but picked out for him. For generations, his family had been the Head of the department, ending with his dad before his retirement. But, while James knew it was noble work, he did not want to follow in their footsteps. He wanted to make his own path. He wanted to be his own man. But Alastor Moody was a legend. To learn that kind of magic – James could hardly wait.

"Excellent," Dumbledore beamed. "Now, the next order of business, Frank, where on earth did you store a lemon that large? I'm very partial to Lemon Drops, you know."

* * *

"I don't think we're all going to make it," Lily said quietly as she lay her head on James's chest. The others had gone home after the meeting, but James had decided to stay the night. And Lily was grateful. She did not want to spend the night alone.

"How do you mean?" he mumbled sleepily.

"We're going to die. Not all of us, but some of us, aren't we?"

He sighed and took her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips to place a small kiss. "Lily, it's a war. People die in wars. But I believe our cause is worth it, don't you? I mean, if we can stop him, if we can defeat him before he does more damage, we would be creating a world where our children and our children's children could grow up in peace and happiness. They won't go to Hogwarts with the same threats looming over their head as we did. They won't wonder if their parents will survive the night, or their neighbors, or their friends. Yes, people are going to die. Maybe a lot of them. But we all joined up knowing that was possible. Why? Because we knew we had to. If we don't, who will? Who will stand up against him? Who will save the world from him? Because if he wins here in England, where we have Albus Dumbledore, the rest of the world will fall within days. I know you're scared. Believe me, I am too. But we have to do this. Or at least I have to. Because I love you so much, Lily. You're my whole world. And I will do anything to protect you. If Voldemort wants you because of your blood or for any other reason, he's going to have to go through me. But - I really wish you wouldn't join. I mean, what if something happens to you?"

"And what if something happens to you?" she demanded indignantly. "Why is it okay for you to risk your life and not me?"

"Lily-."

"No, you listen here, James Potter," she sat up now angrily. "Yes, you're right. _We _have to do this. We have to stop him. But who are you to tell me you can sacrifice your life for mine, but I can't do the same? He wants _me_, James, not you. You're Pureblood. As far as he's concerned, the faster you get married to some pureblood slut and start sprouting out the little pureblood shitheads, the better. But I'm Muggleborn, James. He wants to wipe me off the face of this earth. And you think I'm not going to stand up for myself? You think I'm not going to fight?"

He put a hand on her cheek to calm her. "No, Lily, that's not what I'm saying. I know you will. I'm just saying _I_ wish you wouldn't because if something happened to you," he shook his head, as if the thought of it was too painful to bear. "I couldn't handle it, Lily. I need you to be safe."

"James," she brought his palm to her mouth and kissed it. "The only place I want to be is next to you, always. If you're fighting, so am I. I'm going to be right there with you, watching your back of course, because _I _love _you_."

He looked at her for a long time. Lily Evans had been all he wanted since he knew girls didn't have cooties. And he knew in this very moment why he loved her so. It was her spirit. It was her fire. It was the fact that she could make yelling at him and putting him in his place so damned sexy. She was all he ever wanted, all he would ever want. He sat up and kissed her. "Marry me," he whispered against her lips.

She pulled back and looked at him. "What?"

"Marry me," he said again louder. "Look, I know I don't have a ring right now, and I know this is the shottiest proposal that has ever been made. But I love you, Lily. And I _want _you there by my side always. I want you to have my back and I want to have yours. I want all of you, forever. I don't want the pureblood little shitheads, Lily. I don't care about blood status. It means nothing to me. All that matters is that I love you so much, and I want to marry you, Lily Evans. It's what I've wanted since I was thirteen years old, and it's what I'll always want. I want you to marry me, Lily."

She looked at him for a moment before she leaned forward and kissed him earnestly. "Yes," she whispered against his lips.

He flipped them around and loomed over her, his face just inches away from hers. "Really?" he asked skeptically.

"What? Did you expect me to say no?" she smiled. "And by the way, that was _not _the shottiest proposal that has ever been made."

He kissed her again, wanting to remember this moment exactly as it was with no war over them, no deaths, no Voldemort. No, in this moment, it was just them, just Lily and James, the betrothed couple. In this moment, nothing else mattered but that they loved each other.

"James," she said breathily when he finally pulled away. "I'll want a proper ring though," she joked.

He smirked at her and kissed her again quickly. "Trust me, I've had your wedding ring picked out for the last four years."

* * *

**New chapter! Please review guys! And yes, I know the proposal came kinda fast, but trust me, there's a point to that. Anyways, pleaseee let me know what you think. thanks :D**


	5. Over My Head

**Disclaimer: If you wish you owned it, so do I.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Over My Head**  
_Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head_  
_Eight seconds left in overtime she's on your mind_

Mr. and Mrs. Potter were a couple that had been blessed with a child late in their lives. As wizards, they did not have to worry about muggle disorder from barring children that old. And so, when they were both in their sixties, they had proudly brought home James. What a precious joy he was to their lives, which had been quiet and lonely before. From the beginning, James had them on their toes, and it was only because of their magic that they were able to handle him. Still, as their only son, and the last Potter, they doted on him. From when he was a babe, there was naught he was denied. This would , of course, lead to James being a very spoiled student at Hogwarts, but they didn't care. He was their only son, their heir. And they would do anything for him. While they were both well into their eighties now, they both had the spirit of teenagers. And though they were too old now, they believed, to fight against Voldemort, they strongly believed he needed to be stopped.

Charlus Potter had been the Head of the Auror Department in his prime and had retired a few decades ago to stay at home with his wife and son. He was not as fast as he used to be, and times were changing. He believed the Department needed new blood to head it if it was to be successful. He had left the Department in the capable hands of his once pupils and retired to a nice quiet life. Dorea Potter, though a housewife, was just as able as her husband. She had been born a Black and had thus seen firs hand the cruelty of hatred against the Muggleborns. She had left that life behind when she married Charlus, and had had her face cursed off the tapestry. Still, she did not regret it a day in her life. Both were strong advocates for the good and right in the world, and while they had spoiled their son, they had also done their best to instill in him the same need for right to prevail.

And so, James was not worried about getting their okay to train the Order in the large Potter Manor. It was only the two of them now, and James knew without a doubt that his father would eagerly have several tips for them in training. Still, he obeyed Dumbledore's orders and went with Sirius to ask them formally.

"And this way," he continued, "we'll all be prepared. I mean, we need to know what we're doing right? We need to stop him and this is the only way we can learn how."

The Potters were both smiling. They had been ready to go along with the plan as soon as James started, but seeing as he had clearly put much effort in his speech, gave him the time to deliver it. "Of course the Order can train here," Mr. Potter said, smiling. "We can clear out the ballroom. It should be big enough, right?"

"Definitely," James grinned.

"What is Moody planning on teaching you?" Mrs. Potter asked practically. She was often the voice of reason in the household when Charlus let James and Sirius run loose.

"Probably some defensive spells," Sirius shrugged. "And hopefully a few offensive ones too."

Apparently, the glee in his voice was too profound. Dorea glared at her surrogate son. As a fellow Black, she knew the pressure Sirius must have gone through before he left his house. She had wholeheartedly agreed to let him live with them when he ran away. Being a Black was difficult, especially when you didn't quite fit into their ideals. "Sirius Black, if you so much as cast one Unofrgivable without reason," she warned.

"Don't worry, Mrs. P," he beamed at her. "I will most definitely have a reason if I do use one. Like if a Death Eater is in my sight."

Dorea rolled her eyes. Of course he had a comeback, the little conniving Black. Charlus laughed. "Don't worry, Dorea, we taught them both well. I'm sure they will both act will honor."

"Of course, Dad," James said quickly, glaring at his best friend.

"Hmm Moody was one of mine," Charlus said contemplatively. "He'll teach you well. And of course, I will be here should he need help. A teacher never gives away all his secrets after all. Otherwise, how would the student learn their own way?" He chuckled, reminiscing.

James rolled his eyes, though he grinned at his father. He would help them, just like James knew he would. James had never wanted to be an Auror, like his father, but he knew his father knew seriously powerful spells. He could not wait to learn them. For some unknown reason to him, Charlus had held off on showing James the powerful stuff. He was pretty sure his parents thought he was going to use them to better define the marauder rule at Hogwarts. Of course, the fact that that is exactly what he would have done was irrelevant to him.

"I still don't know how I feel about you boys joining the Order," Dorea admitted quietly. "What if you get hurt? You're _just _out of Hogwarts after all. What Albus is thinking, I do not know."

"When does anyone ever know hwo that brilliant mind of his works?" Charlus chuckled. "But don't worry, Dorea, the boys are strong. And they'll receive better training. I'm sure they'll be fine."

But they all knew these were empty words. No one knew what tomorrow would bring. Lily had been right yesterday. Not all of them would make it. "Speaking of things James has yet to tell you," Sirius changed the subject abruptly. James glared at him, knowing exactly where this was going, and elbowed him. "Ask Jamesy here what new installments have progressed in his relationship with Miss Evans."

They both looked at James then curiously. James turned beet red. He was going to kill Sirius. "LilyandIareengaged," he mumbled quickly.

Charlus's jaw dropped while Dorea simply smiled. "Well finally," she said excitedly. "I was wondering when I could finally call that girl my daughter-in-law. I mean, you've only been in love with her since your third year. Frankly, I wish you had proposed earlier. Summer weddings are all the trend right now, and unfortunately, we do not have the time to plan anything extravagant in such short time."

"Summer? Extravangant?" James groaned. This was exactly why he hadn't wanted to tell his parents yet. He knew they would start planning the most ridiculously ginormous wedding in the history of the world. "Dad!"

"Now, now, Dorea," Charlus smirked. "Let's give him a moment to breathe. Now, how did you ask her? Did you get her a ring yet? What about your grandmother's wedding ring? It's a family heirloom after all. Do you think Miss Evans will want to live here after the wedding? Or will you be living at our other estates? Or are you planning on getting a new place altogether?" He groaned. He had hoped his dad would stall his mother, but there was no hope there. His father was just as bad.

"Tell them how you asked her," Sirius smirked.

Both his parents looked to him expectantly. "We were in her bed," he started.

"James!" Dorea cried. "Please do not tell me you proposed because you got her pregnant!"

He rolled his eyes. "A bit of a jump there, mum?" he grumbled.

"Is she pregnant?" Charlus asked seriously.

"Most definitely not," James said quickly.

"Not for a lack of trying though, of course," Sirius smirked.

James punched him. "Anyway. We were in her ebd and we were talking about how not everyone would make it out of the war, and I don't know, I just asked. It seemed like the right thing to do. And honestly, I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I don't want to wait for the what if. I want her, forever."

Both his parents beamed at him. He continued quickly before they could start the sentimental rubbish. "Besides, she's right, isn't she? Not everyone will make it out alive after we're done. And if – if it _is _one of us, I want to make sure we're doing this right. I want her to be my wife now, and forever."

"Seems that's everyone's reason now," Charlus said seriously. It was true, they all knew it. With the upcoming war, with not knowing who was going to survive the night, people were getting married right and left.

"Still, I think it's a very noble and sweet reason," Dorea added.

James smiled at his parents. They both loved Lily, and they had heard about her enough from him over the years. And of course, they did not care at all if she was Muggleborn, even if all the Potters since the beginning had been Pureblood. He knew they were just happy that he was happy and had probably expected this, just waiting for the news. He realized now that he didn't care if his mom planned the most extravagant wedding of all time, or if they got ran off and eloped one night. None of that mattered. The only important thing was that he was marrying Lily Evans, and he'd be damned if he let anything stop him.

"A little less waving, Pettigrew," Moody walked through the group, giving instructions and helping them were they were weak. They had been training for two days now, and many had already improved. The older ones, like Doge, would not be fighting, and were thusly excluding from these lessons. Some, like Minerva and Edgar, were already quite adequate at these spells and helped Moody with the training. "You'll poke someone's eye out before you curse a Death Eater. Here, watch Potter here. He has it right."

Peter flushed while James grinned. It was no surprise to anyone that James and Sirius were two of the few excelling already in these lessons. Of course, it also helped that they had the motivation of Charlus making fun of them every time they failed. Good old dad, right? Peter did the spell again, and he did it right this time. The rest of the marauders beamed proudly at their friend. He had always been the weakest of the group, and they knew he was scared, but still, he was here, and he was improving a bit.

"Alright, you lot," Moody called out, walking to the front again. They had already been training for a few hours. "Excellent form today. We'll continue tomorrow."

"Finally," Dorcas fell to the ground, sprawling out. "Marlene, be a dear and fan me?"

Marlene rolled her eyes and sat down next to her friend, but not before sending a silent jinx at her. Dorcas glared at her and sat up. "Now that we're done this, we can move onto other matters. Lily, have you picked your wedding dress out yet?"

Lily blushed furiously and looked at James. She hadn't told anyone yet. James had the grace to look reprimanded. Lily sighed, not really bothered. It was bound to get out anyway, and quite frankly, she couldn't be happier. "Not yet," she said, sitting down as well. "There hasn't really been time."

"I hope you don't mind that I told a few of the girls, Lily," Dorea said, coming over to them with two trays of cups following her. The cups each flew to the witches and wizards who thanked Dorea profusely. The guys all began talking about the spells they had learned that day, and the girls gathered around Lily. "I mean, there is so much to plan, and Marlene has already gotten married, so I just knew she could help."

Lily smiled at her soon to be mother-in-law. "Of course not, Mrs. Potter."

"Dorea, please, child," the old woman laughed. "You _are _about to become my daughter-in-law after all."

"Now that all pleasantries are aside," Marlene smirked. "I say we go try out dresses soon. I mean, you don't want to leave something that important till the last minute."

"And let me tell you," Alice said, sighing. "Trying to find a dress in a rush is no picnic."

Lily smiled. "That's okay with me. Though, we haven't even decided on a date yet. I mean, we _just _got engaged."

"I can't believe it's taken James this long to propose, quite frankly," Dorcas rolled her eyes. "I mean, honestly, at every society event for the last several years, we have been treated to Lily Evans is the greatest thing alive lectures. No offense, but before I met you, I sort of hated you. I mean, he would not shut up. Marlene and I were going to curse him several times."

"Wow, thanks, Dorcas," James rolled his eyes, as he joined their conversation.

"Don't worry, Dorcas love," Sirius laughed. "Remus, Peter and I wanted to curse him too."

"Yeah," Remus added. "At least you had the reprieve between events. We had to listen to it every day since third year."

"Though, we did get to see her colorfully refuse his every advance," Sirius smirked. "That was a fair compensation, I should say." James rolled his eyes and punched him.

"It wasn't any better at home," Dorea added. "Remember, Charlus, that summer when he spent every waking moment treating us to why Lily Evans is the love of my life and why I'm going to marry her one day?"

Charlus laughed, especially since both James and Lily were bright red by now. "When he actually started dating her, we thought he had given her a love potion or something. I mean honestly, the things we would hear."

"If you lot are done," James grumbled.

"Oh no, darling," his mother grinned at him. "We're just getting started."

"Remember when he had us dress as cupids on Valentine's Day in our fourth year and follow her around?" Sirius said eagerly.

Remus rolled his eyes, obviously not as fond of the memory. "Why we did it, I'll never know."

"And remember when he had the ghosts-," Peter started.

"Okay, okay we get it!" James cut him off, groaning. "I was obsessed with her for years."

"I wouldn't say obsessed," Sirius said seriously.

"More like creepily stalkerish," Remus added.

Everyone laughed besides James and Lily. But before the newly betrothed couple could respond, they were interrupted by a serene voice. "We have a problem," Dumbledore walked into the ballroom. "Hello everyone."

"What's up, Dumbledore?" Dorcas asked.

"We just got news that the Death Eaters are in Diagon Alley. They're attacking civilians. We need to stop them, and protect the people."

Moody stood then. He had gone quiet till now, letting the young ones enjoy these last moments of peace. "It seems it's time for a practical lesson," he said gruffly. "Constant vigilance!"

With one last look at each other, they all Apparated out to Diagon Alley, ready to fight.

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**So this hasn't really gotten a response. Personally, I'm excited about this story but I guess no one else is. Let me know if you think I should continue! Thanks!**


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